


Moonshine and Whiskey

by Thee_tortilla



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1920s, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate universe - Mafia, Drinking, Eventual Romance, Explicit Language, F/M, Gun Violence, Mafia Boss Tsukishima Kei, Mutual Pining, Reader-Insert, Slow Burn, Smoking, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-17 01:16:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29585028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thee_tortilla/pseuds/Thee_tortilla
Summary: You turn back to the blonde in front of you who’s now directed his attention to you.“You’ll be my new personal assistant.” The man says.“What?” You scoff in disbelief.“Well it’s either that or my gun, so i figured you would choose the former.” The blonde responds in complete seriousness despite his snide remark.You stare at him. Just a minute ago he had a gun pointed to your head, and now he’s offering you a job?
Relationships: Kageyama Tobio/Reader, Tsukishima Kei/Reader
Comments: 5
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

The values of 20th century womanhood were not things that were ever taught to you. You were unfamiliar with how to properly strike up a conversation, or how to politely eat soup, or what the hell a thread count was. All the time you should have spent in the house with your theoretical mother, learning how to properly serve your theoretical husband, was instead spent in men’s slacks wandering the streets of an all too familiar neighborhood of a rather unfamiliar city. In lieu of lessons in being a lady, you were taught how to properly use a switchblade, the correct stance when aiming a pistol, and the best stratagies for pick poketing dumb rich fellas. 

Granted it wasn’t entirely your choice to opt out of being a lady. The last time you had someone to teach you these things was long before you could have understood any of it. Hence, no high society for you. Not that you wanted that anyways, sure life was hard being stuck in this shithole you called an apartment, but none the less you were doing alright. Granted finding work was much harder for you these days. When you were young, you could pretend to be a feminine boy, just so that the shopkeepers would let you help out in their store for the day in exchange for a few cents. But as you got older, and you looked more like a woman, pulling off a convincing boy became much harder. Nowadays, at 19, normally you were just pegged as an eccentric suffragette, who was still high on winning the vote. Pick pocketing too was much harder. It was easy to nimbly slip through crowds when your body just barely reached past people’s waists. But the swift movements required had become awkward as you reached an adult’s height. 

This lack of income left you with a few options. One, you could begin to hem your skirts a bit higher, go out to jazz clubs and hope that some geezer was willing to pay to spend the rest of the night with you. Becoming a prostitute was not an uncommon solution for women of your same age and with the same financial woes. However, your sense of dignity, self worth, and just plain stubbornness, meant that you forbade yourself becoming a whore. 

Your second option was to marry rich, or at least richer than you. You could find a lonely older man, in need of female companionship, someone who would give you food and clean water, and try to charm him. However, there were multiple hindrances to this plan. First off, you could never flirt and con your way into a man's heart. You weren’t delicate and charming enough to do that. Second off, to you this option seemed just as degrading as option one. Having to not only give up your body, but also your whole life just for some money seemed terrifying. 

Your third option was the option of choice, and was the one you had been doing for the past five years. Relying on your brother’s mystery flow of income to keep yourself afloat. You had been with Tobio Kageyama since before you could remember. Although you may not have been related by blood, you grew up side by side, and shared a bond stronger than that of siblings. So you figured that you had more than enough reason to refer to him as your brother. Growing up on the streets, you supported one another, you were all each other had. 

However, one month after he turned 17, Tobio had found some employer who payed him well enough that soon the two of you were able to afford the shitty two room apartment that you still shared with him, six years later. Tobio’s mystery job never sat right with you. You figured that any job that made their employees bring an unconcealed handgun to work was bad news. 

You had tried to ask where he worked about a million times. Each time soliciting a response along the lines of ‘Don’t worry about it,’ or ‘I'll tell you when you’re older’. Tobio’s clear evasion of the question made you more and more curious. 

—-

Tobio arrived home from work at around 9 pm, later than usual. You were already sitting at the scratched up excuse for a dining table. Your head bobbed up from behind the pages of Hemingway to smile at the black haired man who had just entered. 

And thus began the house's nightly ritual.

Tobio would place his gun down on the set of cabinets by the door, while you stayed absorbed in your book. He would go to the small kitchen to eat what was left over from your dinner, you stayed absorbed in your book. After he was finished eating he would take a quick bath, while you were still absorbed in your book. After sufficiently washing himself he would role out his mat onto the floor, and go to collect pillows and blankets for both of you. While he did this you put down your book, slipped on your nightshirt and stationed yourself on the ratty old couch which doubled as your bed. Once both makeshift beds were set up, you and Tobio would stay up, talking about your days. Most of the time, you were doing most of the talking. Tobio rarely shared with you what he did during the day. After that got tiresome, you would wish each other goodnight, turn off the oil lamp, and drift into sleep. 

Tonight however, you broke routine.

Instead of falling asleep, you stayed awake. Six whole years had gone with Tobio keeping his work a secret from you. You were sick of it. After countless attempts at just asking him, you concluded that that method wouldn’t work. You could ask around, but you’d doubt anyone would tell a girl in men’s clothing anything of importance. 

There was a third option. It was insane, but an option nonetheless. You could follow Tobio when he leaves for work. You knew that it was probably dangerous, and that Tobio would be furious if he found out. Despite that, you didn’t feel that there even was another option. For six years you had been kept in the dark about where the closest thing you had to a brother went everyday. 

You had decided that tonight would be the night to make your final decision. Tomorrow when Tobio leaves in the morning for work, would you be trailing him. You knew that the cons greatly out weighed the pros. But in the end you didn’t care. You needed to know where he went. So, you made your decision and closed your eyes for a fitful night of sleep. 

——

8 am. A time you’d normally be asleep at. But today was different, today you were wide awake. 

While Tobio got ready for his day, you feigned sleep. In reality your nerves were twitching to open your eyes and get out of bed as soon as possible. 

When you hear the front door click shut you shoot up to your feet. You run to the bathroom, and splash some water on your face. Then you slip out of your nightshirt and into your hand me downs from Tobio. Once you’ve secured your belt, you glance out the front window to see Tobio leaving the apartment complex and walking down the sidewalk. You let out a sigh of relief when you see that you’re not too late. You quickly holster your gun, making sure it’s properly concealed, before you leave your apartment and glide down the stairs to the first floor. When you exit the building you see Tobio a few meters away to your left. Quickly but carefully you make chase. 

The scenery soon turns from battered old apartments to office buildings and nice shops. The streets become unfamiliar, and you wonder how you’ll find your way back home. A few times during your mission Tobio looks back, as if he’s noticed you. Each time you manage to slip into an alley way or behind a garbage can before he’s able to catch sight of you. 

When Tobio finally does stop in front of a building it isn’t at all what you were expecting. It’s a large office building, decorated with giant windows that shine a deep blue in the morning sun. You hide in the closest alley way to watch what Tobio does without getting caught. There’s no way you can sneak into that building from its front entrance, judging by its appearance, you’d stick out like a sore thumb among all the rich men that worked there. 

You were surprised when instead of walking through the front door, Tobio walks around to the side of the building and turns down the alley that leads to its back. 

You quickly make your way to the same path. You glance down to make sure Tobio has already turned to the back of the building. He has, so you quickly walk down the way, praying that you wouldn’t miss seeing where Tobio entered. When you get to the end of the building's side, you glance around the corner.  
There you see Tobio slipping through a small, industrial looking door on the back of the building. 

You wait about a minute before going through the door yourself. The door was heavier than you’d thought it’d be, but you finally managed to get it open. Inside you’re greeted with a tall concrete staircase, leading to a dark hallway. You contemplate turning back, but the weight of your gun at your hip reassures you to keep going. 

You walk up the stairs as quietly as possible, making sure to pause at every step to check that no ones coming. All you have to do is see what exactly Tobio does, and then bolt out of here. 

You don’t hear anyone else until you're up the stairs and a few feet into the hallway. The sound of two pairs of footsteps startle you, and immediately on instinct you pull out your concealed handgun, and prepare to aim. 

Out of the shadows steps two men, they too have their guns drawn and pointed right at you. 

“I told ya she was a spy.” the one on the right says, not taking his eyes off you. 

“I’m still not convinced. Who would send a pretty girl to get all roughed up.” the other responded. 

“Well whores don’t cross dress so you’re still not right.”

“I dunno, maybe some people are into all that”

“Not here they aren’t.”

The pair look you up and down as if to figure out which planet you’re from. Their conversation utterly confuses you, but you decide to just let it happen.

“Ok so maybe she is a spy.” The left one continued, “but who would be cruel enough to send a pretty little lady to her death?”

The right gives you a calculating glance. “My bets on Seijo.” He says, “look at her stance, only Oikawa’s men hold a gun like that.”

“The king does too ya know.” The left responds warily

“There’s no way in hell she knows the king.” The right chuckles. 

By now you’re incredibly tense. You don’t know who seijo or Oikawa was, and you definitely don’t know a king. You weren’t a spy nor were you a whore. And you still haven’t figured out why these men were pointing their guns at you. 

“Who are you, what do ya want?” The right finally asks you. 

You contemplate giving them fake information, but you figure that if they were going to shoot you it didn’t matter either way. You cautiously state your first name. “I’d like to see Tobio Kageyama.”

They both look at you with utter shock for a second, before breaking down into a hysterical fit of laughter. 

“We pegged her completely wrong,” the left wheezes, “she’s just plain stupid.”

The pair eventually calms down and looks at you with amusement. 

“The hell’s your business with the king?” the right asks. 

The king? “No,” you try again, “I need to see Tobio Kageyama.”

They both let out a snort of laughter. 

“Same thing kid.” The right says. 

“Told ya she was just a dumb whore.” 

At this point you’re sick of being mistaken for a whore. You’ve adamantly avoided that lifestyle and you refuse to be thought of as someone who’s embraced it instead. 

“I am not a whore!” You yell, your grip tightening around the gun. 

“Oh ho! We’ve got ourselves a feisty one.” The right one jokes. 

You grit your teeth. “I’m not a spy either.” 

The two men look amused at your proclamation. 

“I don’t know where I am or who you are,” you continue, still holding fast to your gun. “I don’t know who seijo, or Oikawa, or the king is. I just need to find Tobio Kageyama.”

The pair looks slightly shocked at your sudden outburst. 

“Naive little thing,” The left comments, “Why should we let you see Kageyama.”

“Please,” you sigh, “I’m his sister, and i need to talk to him.”

Both men look shocked at the word sister. You don’t look anything like Tobio, that much is obvious. Nor do you act much like him either. The men give each other an unreadable look, and before you can even think to run, they’ve got you. 

The man that was one the right has one hand tightly gripping your wrists together behind your back. His other hand is occupied with your gun which he took from you without you even noticing. The man that was on the left has you in a much worse position. One hand is pulling your head back by your hair, while the other points a gun right under your chin. 

“Should we take her to the boss?” The right asks . 

“Nah she’s not worth it.” responds the left. 

“But she knew the king's name. Only people who work at the building know his name.”

“That’s true, she could be a lot more dangerous than we thought.”

“So then we’ll take her?”

“He’ll probably shoot us for bothering him, but sure.”

“You heard the man move it, woman.”

——

What was once a dimly lit, concrete hallway, soon becomes lavish and well decorated as you continue to walk with your captors. Their grips on you do not seize, but the one on your hair loosened a bit to allow you to see where you are walking. This also gave you the chance to look at your surroundings. The floor was now wood, and the walls were covered in decor. 

You had long stopped trying to guess where exactly you were. You were walking through hallways fancier than anything you’ve ever seen, being held at gunpoint, while being taken to a strange man who apparently knows your Tobio. 

Although you are confused, you don’t regret following Tobio this morning. Your life is fairly boring, and you live for adventure. You love the feeling of adrenaline pumping through your veins. This is the most alive you had felt in years. 

Finally, after a few minutes of walking in the most uncomfortable position, the three of you stop at a set of large oak doors. The men next to you's breathes become nervous. 

They apprehensively knock at the door. There was silence. The men took that as their cue to enter. They opened the doors and led you inside. 

The room was a large study. There were a few leather couches here and there as well as some large bookshelves. There were multiple glass cases filled with bottles of expensive liquor. The walls were decorated with a few paintings as well as some mounted animal heads. Front and center of the room was a large antique desk with elegant carvings. On the desk were a few piles of papers and books, as well as two half full glasses of moonshine. 

Standing at the desk was a tall man with styled blonde hair. His honey eyes were shielded by a pair of glasses, which gave him an air of cunning intellect. He had on a tailored designer suit, equipt with a gun holstered on his right thigh. 

Next to him stood Tobio Kageyama.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! um, so i kinda started a whole other story instead of finishing the ones i’m currently in the middle of. ik this is different than my other works, but like, just let me have this. Anyways, comments are always appreciated. Thank you!


	2. Chapter 2

The room had a palpable tension to it. You could quickly tell that the two men who stood in front of you did not like each other. Tension wasn’t the only mood that filled the air. There was an annoyance that grew the longer you stood in the room.

“You two better have a damn good reason for barging in here or I swear to god.” The blonde man says, not taking his eyes off the paper below him. Tobio didn’t move his eyes either.

“We caught a spy tryin to sneak in through the back. Says she’s the king’s sister. I thought I should bring her here cause she knew his name.” The man with his gun to your chin says. 

At this declaration both men look up. A whole different range of emotions play out on both men’s faces. The blonde’s eyes at first appear shocked, but that quickly turns into fury. But when he looks up at you, an unrecognizable glint crosses his honey eyes. It only lasts less than a second, but you still see it. His face turns stoic and cautious after that.

On Tobio’s face, a whole other story plays out. Much like the man next to him, his expression begins shocked. However, unlike the blonde, there’s a layer of fear behind his eyes. When his gaze finds you, there’s a flash of relief when he realizes that it’s just you. And then followed by immediate anger when he realizes, it’s just you.

Before anyone can get another word in, Tobio is marching over to you. As if on cue the men restraining you step away, to give Tobio access. He grabs your bicep in a bruising grip, and yanks you out of the room. Before you can even think to react, he slams you against the wall of the hallway.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” He asks, his voice dripping with a venom you’ve never heard from him.

“I could ask you the same question.” You respond, trying your best to keep your composer, and not crack under fear. You could see his eyes light with fiery anger when you counter his question. He pulls your head back from the wall using your shirt’s collar, and harshly slams your head back against the wall. You bite the inside of your cheek to avoid yelling in pain.

“Answer the fucking question.” He says, blue eyes fixed on yours. You try to think of the best way to answer in order to avoid another hit to the back of your head. You want to will yourself to say something that will calm him down, but the adrenaline prevents you. 

“It’s not my fault that you’ve been keeping this place a secret from me for six fucking years. If you had just told me then i wouldn’t be here right now. Not that I even know where here is.” Your response makes his scowl grow, and he pulls you forward by your collar again. This time however, instead of banging you back against the wall, he holds you up so your faces are mere inches apart. 

“Don’t give me that shit.” He seethes, “Don’t you dare put the blame on me. I didn’t tell you because this would have happened a lot sooner if i had. Do you even realize how much danger you’ve put yourself in. You could’ve been fucking killed.” Although his voice is quieter now, it’s still just as furious. 

“But i didn’t get killed. I’m barely even in any danger, other than you cracking my skull open.” You respond with as much snark as before. 

“Barely in any danger? You were being held at gunpoint and you’re going to tell me that you’re fucking fine?” He says, still completely infuriated with you. 

“Yes, Tobio, I’m fine.” You respond, noticing how he flinched when you said his name. “Now can you please tell where we are?” At your question he huffs and lets go of your shirt collar. You stumble back, only to be caught by him grabbing your forearm.

“I’m taking you home.” He growls, forcefully turning you to face the direction you came from. He’s about to start dragging you back down the hallway, before a voice from the behind you two speaks up.

“Kageyama, I’m not done with either of you. Back in here, now. And bring your girl too.” It’s the man from before, the tall, skinny blonde who always looks like he knows exactly what you’re thinking. He’s leaning on the door frame, analytical gaze fixed on the pair of you. Tobio grunts in reply, and reluctantly leads you back into the study.

When you walk through the doors the blonde is already sitting behind the desk expectantly. The two men who were restraining you before stand at attention at the side of the room. Tobio brings you over to a set of chairs in front of the desk. He throws you in one of them and sits next to you. 

“Explain.” The man in front of you commands, looking to Tobio for a response. However he looks over to you with amusement when you answer instead. 

“I’m Tobios sister,” you give him your name. “I followed him here. Maybe you can tell me what this place is?” Your forward response elicits an amused chuckle from the blonde man. However he too leaves your question unanswered. 

“You never said you had a sister.” The man states looking back at Tobio, an amused glint still present in his golden eyes. 

“She’s not technically my sister. We’re not related by blood.” Tobio responds. He’s collected himself since his outburst earlier, and now looks at the blonde with a cool and stoic gaze.

“I didn’t think so.” The man scoffs. “None of my capos could be related to someone this incompetent.” You’re not sure whether you feel confused or angered at this comment. The word capo sounded familiar, but you weren’t sure where you had heard it before. Aside from that, a rich looking man you met not even half an hour ago just called you incompetent. You’ve always prided yourself on your wit, and ability to survive despite your situation in life. So who was this stranger to judge your intellect. 

“Hey,” You say firmly, hitting the palm of your hand against the desk to emphasize your point. “How dare you-“

You're silenced by the most terrifying gaze you’ve ever seen. Behind a pair of wire rimmed glasses sit the eyes of a murderer staring down his victim. You’ve seen the look before, back when you were younger living on the streets, but never this intense. Behind those eyes is a man who, if given a reason, would not hesitate to take your life. It terrifies you, but the adrenaline rush it gives is exciting. You want to squeal, but you know that acting like a schoolgirl will just make the situation worse. 

“Shut up if you know what’s good for you.” The blonde man growls in a lethal tone that matches his eyes. You brave a quick glance over at Tobio. His jaw is clenched and his eyes are down. “Now” The man starts again. “Give me one good reason I shouldn't shoot you right now.”

At this Tobio looks up, you can see fear and urgency in his deep blue eyes. “She’s my sister. You can’t-“

He’s cut off by the blonde. “Not by blood she isn’t. Therefore it’s perfectly in my right to kill her. Not to mention she’s now a loose end. She knows we’re here. I can't just let her go. Can I, your majesty?” Tobio cringes at this nickname. 

You wrack your brain for anything that could keep you alive. You’re a woman, you don’t have any work experience of value, and you refuse to use your body. You could try to run, but something tells you that you won’t get very far before being gunned down. You can see that Tobio is thinking just as hard for something that could make your life valuable enough to keep. 

“Nothing?” The blonde asks in a mocking tone. “Pity, I really didn’t want to kill a woman today, but i guess it is what it is.” He stands up and reaches down to take his gun from his holster. As he brings it up to aim at your head you get an idea. The chance is slim that it will work, but at least it will stall a bit. 

“Wait,” You sputter, the man in front of you raises an annoyed eyebrow at you. “I can read and write, I can do basic arithmetic, and I know how to type. I can also shoot really well. I have great accuracy, Tobio can attest to that, he taught me. I don’t know if that’s worth anything but please don’t shoot me.” The room falls silent for a second, before the two men standing to the side by the wall start cracking up. 

“Quite the soliloquy.” One laughs. “Never heard someone beg that smartly for their life before.”

“Still pathetic though.” The second one chuckles in response. “Just get on with it.”

“Quiet.” The blonde man says firmly to the pair. He looks at you warily before reholstering his gun and sitting back down. “What else.” He says to you, his tone no longer lethal, but still far from friendly. 

You take a second to think and compose yourself. “Well I'm pretty smart, I can think fast and I work well under pressure. I’m good at following orders and I tend to keep to myself.” 

He thinks for a second, looking over you. You’re incredibly tense, the adrenaline from before is gone, and now anxiety has taken over. You watch as the stranger in front of you decides whether you live or die. 

The blonde turns to one of the men situated at the wall. “Go upstairs and tell the girls that they have a new addition.” He orders the man. He starts to walk towards the door before he’s stopped. “Oh and make sure to let them know that she’ll be working directly under me, so they won’t be seeing her very often.”

“Yes, boss.” The man says, and exits the room. 

You turn back to the blonde in front of you who’s now directed his attention to you. 

“You’ll be my new personal assistant.” The man says. 

“What?” You scoff in disbelief. 

“Well it’s either that or my gun, so i figured you would choose the former.” The blonde responds in complete seriousness despite his snide remark. “You’ll be following my orders and my orders alone. You’ll do everything I ask of you without question. You’ll live here with me, and you’ll be on call 24 hours a day in case I need something. Is that understood?” 

You stare at him. Just a minute ago he had a gun pointed to your head, and now he’s offering you a job? You want to hit him with a million questions, but you decide that just going along with the situation would be better for you. So you choose to nod instead.

“Good” The man continues. He holds out his hand for you to shake. You look down at it and realize that you still don’t know what exactly it is you’re getting yourself into. However, you decide that no matter what it is, it will be better than a bullet to the head. You meet his hand with yours. He wraps his long fingers around your smaller ones and gives your soft hand a firm shake. He slowly pulls his hand away, brushing the inside of your palm with the pads of his fingers. 

“Well then,” The blonde says, “Welcome to Karasuno.” You stare at him, mouth slightly ajar. Did he say Karasuno? As in, the biggest mafia organization in the city? You had heard of them, but you had never been unfortunate enough to actually encounter a member. You had heard horrible stories of their members, apparently they were all merciless killers with years of experience under their belts. Especially their boss. Inhuman was a word you had heard him described as, just a killing machine. However he was always more of a threat than a reality. Karasuno’s handsome young boss, who showed humanity to no one. You thought back to the man from earlier, the one the blonde sent away. You remember how he addressed him, ‘boss’.

With this new realization you figure that it’s best to not have a large reaction to the information you had just been given. Instead, you once again opt for a simple nod as an affirmation that you had heard what the blonde had said. 

“I suppose I haven’t introduced myself yet.” The man in front of you says, pulling you away from your growing anxiety. “I am the Boss of Karasuno, Kei Tsukishima. You may call me Mr. Tsukishima or sir.” You nod once again. So you were right, the man you’ll be taking orders from for the foreseeable future is none other than the infamous mass murderer Kei Tsukishima. “Now then,” Tsukishima says, looking at the other man at the side of the room. “Please escort her to the secretary's office. Oh and shut the door on the way out, me and Kageyama have some more business to attend to.”

You look over at Tobio, in all the commotion you had completely forgotten he was there. He’s staring at Tsukishima, looking even more shocked than you are. You turn back around to see the man ordered to be your escort looking at you expectantly. You rise from your seat, and turn to follow the man. You glance back at tsukishima, who’s looking at you as if he were closely analyzing every single move you make. You walk over to the man at the doorway, and follow him into the hall. 

The big oak doors shut behind you, and you’re left in silence. You realize that your heart is beating out of your chest, and that the back of your neck is covered in sweat. You finally unclench your jaw, which you didn’t even notice you had been clenching, and unball your fists. You let yourself breathe for a second before turning to look at your escort. To your surprise he’s giving you a knowing look, patiently waiting for you to collect yourself.

Once you’re sure you can breathe normally again, you begin your journey down the hallway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I think I'm going to try to upload once a week, but don't hold me to that. I have so many things planned with this story and I'm so excited to write them. Comments are always appreciated, and thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

The secretary’s office is a small room with a few old desks. Each desk has stacks of paper on it, and two have a typewriter. There are a few small windows, two are cracked open to let out the smoke from the room's occupants’ cigarettes. By the window stands two women and the man who had been sent away earlier. The first woman is small, and has blonde hair cut just above her shoulders. She wears a white blouse and brown skirt that goes to her mid calf. She is pretty, but looks rather plain next to her beautiful coworker. The other woman is taller, she has silky raven hair pulled back into a low bun. She has light yet elegant makeup that accentuates her blue eyes. She wears a light violet dress and a small string of pearls around her neck. Both women have lit cigarettes between their fingers. The third person in the room is the man from before who Tsukishima had sent off to notify the women of your situation. Because of all the stress and adrenaline of before you hadn’t been able to get a good look at him. You use the momentary calmness to observe his appearance. He is fairly tall and muscular. His hair is in a buzz cut and he has a faint blush to his cheeks as he looks at the dark haired woman. Much like the rest of the men you’ve encountered, he’s clad in a black suit, with a gun holstered at his hip. 

“Tanaka I think you should just lay off,” The blonde says to the man in front of her. “Kiyoko’s clearly not interested.” 

“Oh come on, baby.” Tanaka says turning to the black haired woman. “Just let me take you out again, I promise it won’t be as bad as the first time.” The beautiful woman, who’s name is apparently Kiyoko, turns her head away from the man and takes a puff of her cigarette. 

“I already told you Tanaka,” Kiyoko says in a bored voice, “Just like Yachi said, I’m not interested.”

“Then how about me darlin?” You turn around to see the man who had been escorting you walking up to Kiyoko with the same lovesick expression that Tanaka has on. You take a second to look over his appearance. He’s much shorter than Tanaka and even Kiyoko. He has spiky brown hair with a tuft of blonde in the front. Much like Tanaka, he wears a black suit and a gun on his hip. At the sound of his entrance Kiyoko and Yachi look over to where you’re standing in the doorway. They quickly extinguish their cigarettes and scurry over to you, completely ignoring the smaller man’s presence. 

“You must be the boss's new assistant.” Kiyoko says, taking your hands in hers. 

“Yeah,” You say and give them your name. “it’s nice to meet you.”

“I’m Kiyoko Shimizu, and this is Yachi Hitoka.” The blonde behind her gives you a shy wave. “We’ll show you around and tell you what you’re going to do around here.” 

“Oooo is she going to be joining you?” The smaller asks from behind you. 

“I hope so,” The man named Tanaka says, “It’d be amazing to have another beautiful lady in our presence every day.” 

“Stop it, both of you.” Kiyoko says firmly to the two men. “I’m sorry,” She turns back to you, “That’s Tanaka and Nishinoya. They don’t mean any harm they’re just stupid.” 

You laugh at her comment. You’re glad that there are seemingly normal people here. Maybe all the terrible rumors about this place are false. Maybe the man you’ll be working for isn’t a cold blooded murderer.

“Anyways,” Yachi says, stepping towards you, “This is the secretarial office, it’s where Kiyoko and I work. You’ll have your own office next to the boss’s, but you can come down here if you ever need anything.” 

The girls start showing you around the room, Tanaka and Nishinoya still stand at the wall, their eyes following Kiyoko's every movement. 

“You know how to type, right?” Yachi asks, you nod. A few years ago you found a broken typewriter in an alley. You brought it home and repaired it. You had been using it to learn how to type in hopes that one day you could get a job as a secretary. Next to shooting a gun, being a fast typer is one of your best skills. 

“Great, in that case we won’t have to teach you. We had to teach the last two girls and they didn’t last very long, so i’m glad to hear that this stuff isn’t new to you.” Yachi laughs. You’re thankful that all your time spent practicing typing wouldn’t go to waste. 

“Well that’s it here.” Kiyoko says, looking out across the office space. “You probably won’t come down here too often so we don’t need to get into all the small details.” The two girls lead you over to the door. “Now it’s time for the fun part.” Kiyoko says, you raise an eyebrow in question. “Showing you where you’ll be working.”

You follow the girls through the hallway until you reach an elevator. You’re in awe, you’ve never seen such expensive technology before. They step into the box and you cautiously follow. Kiyoko closes the metal gate, and pulls the lever to the top floor. 

——

After a long and terrifying elevator ride the doors open to another hallway of sorts. To the left is a large office space, to the right and in front of you are two walls with doors, one much bigger than the other. The wall next to the office is entirely windows, looking out across the city. 

“Welcome to your new office!” Yachi says, leading you over to the open space on your left. In the front is a large desk with an expensive, new typewriter on it. Behind it are filing cabinets, and a few more empty shelves. Next to the windows is a small lounge area, with two leather couches and a small coffee table. 

“Wow,” You say, completely lost for words. You're in disbelief, you never thought that you would ever get to even see a room as fancy as this one. As a young woman with no blood relatives who lived on the streets for most of her life, you could never even dream of ending up in a place like this. You didn’t feel as though this room belonged in your life, and yet, it was your life now. 

“This will be where you work,” Kiyoko says, looking around the office. “That's the boss's office right there.” She points to the larger of the two doors that is opposite the elevator. “The boss’s office along with his apartment take up most of this floor. Your office and apartment take up the rest.” 

Kiyoko walks to the other side of the hallway to the smaller door and opens it, you and Yachi follow her inside. You step into a fairly large room. On one side is a living space with a few couches, a long table, and a couple bookcases. On the other side is a dining area with a small, wooden table and few chairs. At the far end up the room is a short hallway with three doors. 

“This is where you’ll be living.” Kiyoko says as she wanders around the apartment. “Don’t worry about the pantry though,” She opens a few shelves next to the dining table, and you see that they are empty. “You’ll normally eat with the boss, or if he’s not here you’ll have food brought up.” She walks over to the small hallway and stands in front of the three doors, two to the right, and one to the left. “This is your bathroom and bedroom,” She points to the doors on the right. “And this connects to the Boss’s room.” She points to the door on the left, “It’s locked from the other side, so he has to be the one to open it.”

The three of you walk back into the main room, you take the chance to look around the apartment again. Like the office, you're in awe at how nice it is. You’re used to living in a tiny, dirty, two room apartment in a rundown neighborhood, and now you're being given a fancy apartment, on the top floor of one of the tallest buildings in Chicago. Not to mention practically getting room service everyday. 

“Well I guess you’ve seen everything you need to.” Kiyoko says.

“The boss will probably ask to see you when he gets back up here, but before then feel free to make yourself at home.” Yachi adds. 

“Oh, also don’t worry about your stuff back at your old place. If your clothes are any indication of how you’ve been living, then it’d be best if you just started from scratch with your wardrobe. We’ll have some new clothes brought to you by the end of the day.” Kiyoko says, as the two girls turn to leave. 

“One more thing,” Yachi turns back to you, “don’t go into the boss’s office or apartment without clear permission from him. That’s been a lot of good people’s downfall, and I don’t want to see that happen to you, so just keep that in mind.”

You nod. The girls give you one last smile goodbye, and walk out the door. 

You’re finally alone. You’ve been surrounded by strangers since you got here, and you're glad you finally have a second to process this whole situation. In less than 24 hours, you’ve gone from a dirt poor 19 year old with no prospects in life, to nearly being killed, to being the personal assistant to the biggest mafia boss in the city. And how? By some stroke of luck that Tobio happened to be with Tsukishima, that this job happened to be open. Chance was really all this came down to. There are hundreds of girls in this city ten times more talented than you, who would kill to have a job as good as this one. 

Then you remember what exactly this job is. You’re working for Kei Tsukishima of Kurasuno, the so-called deadliest man in Chicago. Not only that, your living and sleeping in an apartment right next to his, that he can enter whenever he pleases. And without your gun, you're completely defenseless against a man as tall as him. 

“I guess I’ll just have to keep on his good side then.” You sigh to yourself and walk over to the door to your bedroom. 

You open the door and step inside. There is a queen sized bed, fully made with sheets and a quilt. On the far side of the bed is a nightstand with an oil lamp on it. Around the room are a few empty shelves and cabinets along with a door, that you assume leads to a closet. There is a small desk and chair, with some stationary on it. On the wall opposite the door leading out is a large window. It doesn’t cover the entire wall like the one in your office does, but it’s still huge. The walls are covered in a white wall paper, which you notice has a delicate, pink floral print on it. 

You take in the room. You can’t believe that you get to sleep in it. You’ve never had a bedroom to yourself, much less even slept in a bed before. You’re starting to think that the perks of this job might just outweigh the cons.

You step out of the bedroom, and walk a few steps to open the door to the bathroom. At the end of the room is a white bath, much bigger than anything you’ve ever seen. Other than that there's a sink and toilet. You also notice that the wall paper here is the same as in the bed room, white with small, pink flowers. You step out of the bathroom, and wander around the apartment a bit more. Despite the furniture and wall paper, which you notice is the same as in the bedroom and bathroom, the room feels bare. The shelves and cabinets are empty, there’s no wall decorations, minus a clock by the hallway. You decide that the first thing you’re going to do once you get some time off will be to decorate this place. 

You're pulled out of your thoughts by a knock on the front door. You walk over and open it. In front of you stands a man in what looks to be a butler's uniform. 

“Mr. Tsukishima wishes to speak to you in his office.” The man says. You nod and follow him out of your apartment. You walk the few steps to the large door opposite the elevator. The butler pushes it open, and you walk inside. The office is far bigger than yours. Two walls are windows, and the other three are decorated in expensive art. There are a few couches on one side of the room, with a large glass cabinet containing bottles of liquor. On the other side are a few bookshelves, each of them completely full. In front of you is a large antique desk, with paper and books scattered on it. Next to the bookshelves is a door that assume leads to Tsukishima’s apartment. At the desk sits Tsukishima, his honey gaze fixed on you as you walk in. Next to him stands a man you haven’t met yet. He’s tall, not as tall as Tsukishima, but still tall. He has styled green hair and tan skin. Like the man sitting next to him, he’s wearing a black, designer suit, with a gun at his hip. However, unlike Tsukishima, who shows nothing but aloof confidence, this man looks anxious.

“Please take a seat.”Tsukishima says, gesturing at the chair in front of the desk. You walk over, leaving the butler at the door, and do as your boss says. “I assume the girls showed you around?” He asks. You nod in response. “Good, then that makes my job here easier. I assume you know not to enter my office or apartment without direct permission from me.” You nod. “Good, I expect you to follow that.” He turns to the man standing next to him. “This is Yamaguchi Tadashi, my consigliere. He cannot give you orders, but he is still your superior so I expect you to treat him as such.” You nod again and look up at Tadashi.

“It’s nice to meet you.” He says. You can tell by his tone that he’s rather nervous. You smile a little, it’s nice to know that you’re not the only one who’s uneasy in this situation. 

“Likewise,” You respond, giving Tadashi a small nod. 

“Your schedule is as follows,” Tsukishima says, “At 9 Fitzgerald will bring you to my room for breakfast.” He motions to the butler who led you into the office. “During which time you will tell me my schedule, as well as any messages that have been left for me. After which we will go to our respective offices. You will take lunch and dinner either in your office, with the secretarial staff, or in your room, depending on your workload. Or you will take your meals with me if I ask that of you. You will have a day off every second thursday of the month, and will get paid when I see fit. If I need to travel somewhere or leave the office for business, you will accompany me unless I tell you otherwise. Remember that you are on call at all times, so should I need you anytime during the day or night you will comply. Is all this understood?”

“Yes, sir” You nod, taking mental notes of everything he is telling you.

“Good.” Tsukishima continues, “Another thing, most of the time I live in this apartment, however it is not my primary place of residence. If I am not here one day, you should assume I am there. You are not permitted to go to my personal home, as it is not work related. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir” You say again, nodding.

“Good.” Tsukishima says again, “Your work will begin tomorrow, I expect you to look more presentable than you do now.” He gives your outfit a mildly disgusted look. “Well then, if there are no further questions, you are dismissed.”

You get up to leave, but then remember something you were meaning to ask about.

“There is something I wanted to ask you, sir.” You say. He raises his eyebrows expectantly. “I was wondering if I could get my handgun back.”

You observed a subtle shift in Tsukishima’s face. “I figure you would want that back.” He says, almost smirking. “It will be sent up to you as soon as possible.”

“Thank you, sir.” You respond, and rise from your chair. You make your way out of the office, and the butler, Fitzgerald, closes the door behind you. 

You look across your office, and take in your new life. The two kind secretaries, the large office, the luxurious apartment. And the mysterious boss, whose yet to prove that he’s as heartless as people say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know these chapters are boring but like, stay with me, it'll get fun, I promise.


	4. Chapter 4

A week went by without a hitch. You had started working as Tsukishkma’s assistant. It was surprisingly mundane. Your schedule was consistent throughout the past days. 

8 AM, wake up. Your morning routine had quickly adapted to your new living situation. Your room's curtains weren’t all that thick, so normally you would just wake up with the sun. The clothes Kiyoko and Yachi had brought you were very different from anything you were accustomed to wearing. Although the dresses you were given weren’t expensive, they were still far nicer than anything you had ever worn. They also were dresses, which meant that you weren’t entirely sure as to how to properly style them at first. But after some trial and error, you’ve managed to make yourself look presentable most days. 

9AM, breakfast. Just as Tsukishima had told you, Fitzgerald, the butler, came every morning at nine to bring you to Tsukishima’s room. Before you leave, you grab your leather bound notebook, in which you write your bosses daily schedule. Once the two of you reach Tsukishima’s apartment, you head for the dining room. Tsukishima’s apartment is much different than yours. For one it’s significantly bigger. There are more rooms, more space, and far more windows. The furniture and decor are also very different from that of your apartment. There are too many dark colors and leather for your taste, but it is still incredibly nice. Once at the dining room (which is a separate room here), breakfast would be brought up. While waiting for the food, Fitzgerald would serve the two of your coffee, and you would read Tsukishima his schedule. Unless your boss had any new updates for the day, you would sit in silence for the rest of the meal. Tsukishima would read a book, and you would focus on the food. Just based on what you’ve seen, you know that Tsukishima has a very large library in his office and apartment. You miss reading immensely, but you’re not sure if you’re allowed to ask to borrow a book from your boss. 

10 AM, work. If you’re not already at your desk you are then. You spend the morning mostly doing paperwork. You respond to a few letters, write a few messages, do a whole lot of filing and organizing. Tsukishima will occasionally call you into his office, however, it’s always just to give you a brief and simple order or two. Despite the dullness of your work, it still takes up pretty much your whole morning, and you rarely have free time before lunch. 

12:30 PM, lunch. Your first day of work you went down to the secretarial office for lunch. However, Kiyoko, Yachi, and you agreed that it would be easier to just eat in your office, as there was more space. Since then, the three of you have eaten lunch in the lounge area of your office. It was by far your favorite part of the day. You got to spend time with your two friends while eating great food. Not only that, but you got to hear all the stories from downstairs. You hadn’t left the top floor for non work related reasons since you got here, and it was nice to hear about the world you were missing. Through these stories you learned of a few other people. One you heard about a lot was Shoyo Hinata. He was a capo who worked closely with Tobio. Apparently he had gained a lot of fame because of how fast he rose in the ranks. Not only that, but he was also a strong asset to Kurasuno. Apparently he was extremely fast and agile, and worked well under high pressure situations. However, much like many other members, him and the boss but heads occasionally. Although you had never met Hinata, you hope that one day you would. 

2 PM, more work. The afternoons are when Tsukishima has all his meetings, all of which you attend. This is the only time during the day that you leave your little top floor world. During these meetings, you sit in a corner and take notes for your boss, however the meetings are still useful for you, as they help you to better understand the life you’ve been thrown into. These meetings have also introduced you to a number of new people such as Daichi Sawamura, Koshi Sugawara, and Asahi Azumane, three of the highest ranking capos in Kurasuno. Yamaguchi was also normally in attendance at Tsukishima’s meetings. Kiyoko or Yachi would also make the occasional appearance. You had learned a number of things from these meetings. One; the mafia was a lot more mundane than you thought it was. Most meetings were about finances, property, or business. There was barely ever mention of massacres, shoot outs, illegal gambling rings, or cocaine trafficking. The only thing like that that was commonly mentioned was smuggling alcohol, but underground speakeasies were old news to you. Two; this city was a lot more corrupt than you thought. In passing you had seen multiple public officials as well as some high ranking police officers. You soon came to realize that Kurasuno practically controls this city.

5 PM, preparations for tomorrow. After Tsukishima’s meetings, the two of you would return to the top floor to finish up some work in your respective offices. You spend this time going over information from your notes taken during the meetings. This was also the time when you would put together Tsukishima’s schedule for the next day. After making sure everything was in order and all loose ends had been fixed, you went back to your room for the night.

7 PM, dinner. This was the only meal you took alone in your room. A maid would bring dinner to you, and then return an hour later to retrieve your dishes. Although the food you had for dinner wasn’t nearly as decadent as what you had for breakfast with the boss, it was still extremely high scale compared to what you would have eaten not three weeks ago. Back home, your diet mainly consisted of bread, margarine, potatoes, and pork. Back then the food you ate now was the stuff of dreams. After dinner, you would normally just wander around your apartment or stare out the window. You didn’t have any books or cards, so there was really nothing for you to do. When the clock on the wall told you that it was ten, after a bath, you would turn in for the night. At first the unfamiliarity of the mattress made it hard to sleep, but after the first night, you fell asleep almost immediately. 

And thus concluded the schedule you had been following for the last week.

Throughout your short time in Kurasuno, a few thoughts plagued you. The first being your boss, Kei Tsukishima. Up until you met him, you had pictured Tsukishima as being a large muscular guy with women hanging off his arms and a cigar between his lips. Instead, he was tall and skinny, and yet he was a hundred times more intimidating than your expectation. What unnerved you most was the way he looked at things. The way his amber eyes glared at you made your fight or flight kick in. His stare seemed to tell a person that he knew exactly what they were thinking. It was terrifying the way his gaze instantly disarmed anyone who met it. And yet, you still found it utterly annoying. You knew that the stone cold face he wore was the product of years of training, and that underneath that pretentious facade was just another human being. The way that one look from him could affect you so greatly pissed you off. 

The second thought that always stayed in the back of your mind was why Tsukishima had been so quick to trust you. You were a complete outsider. For all he knew you could be an undercover assassin trying to kill him. And yet, he trusted you enough to let you live right next to him, work beside him, accompany him pretty much everywhere. The only reason he had to trust you was Tobio. But he was just one person, what if you had blackmailed Tobio into lying for you so that you could get closer to the boss (not that that happened, but like, what if it did).

The last and most bothersome thought was Tobio. You hadn’t seen him since the day you arrived, and you thought it was weird that he hadn’t already barged in your apartment and demanded you leave. You were also surprised that he didn’t put up more of a fight when you agreed to be Tsukishima’s personal assistant. You really thought that he would drag you back home, and not let you leave the apartment for a year. And yet he didn’t. When Tsukishima held a gun to your head he barely tried to protect you. When you accepted the offer to join Kurasuno, he didn’t give even a word of protest. And now, when the closest thing he has to a sister is working directly under the most dangerous man in Chicago. Where is he? Where is Tobio Kageyama?

\----

It's Thursday, which means that finally you have a day off, and you have so many things you want to do. The first priority though, is buying some books for your new apartment. You slip on a sky blue day dress, one of the nicer pieces you’ve been given. You grab your purse from your dresser. Tsukishima had finally paid you, and as you don’t have anything to save up for, you figure you might as well spend the money. You step out of your apartment and head to the elevator. Over the past week, you’ve become much more accustomed to the machine. However, traveling on it still makes you very anxious. 

From a week of walking around the building with Tsukishima, you’ve pretty much figured out the general layout. Because of this, you know which floor to stop at to get to the building’s front doors. The offices around you are bustling with people. You’ve found out that these offices are for the law firm that Kurasuno uses as a front. The people who worked here are real lawyers and such, and the business is a real law firm, but they know what it is they actually worked for. 

You go to turn a corner, but suddenly you feel a hand grab your wrist and pull you into an empty hallway. You quickly look up, your free hand reaching for the gun concealed under your skirt. However, you relax when you see the familiar face of Tobio Kageyama.

“I’m sorry I took so long to find you.” He says, looking around to make sure no one was near by. “I tried to go to the top floor and see you, but they wouldn’t let me. But it’s ok now, I’ve found you.”

“Wait, what do you mean they wouldn’t let you?” You ask.

“Don’t worry about that now. Come on, if we leave now we can still make it back to the apartment before we get on the train.” He says, slightly tugging at your wrist.

“Tobio, what are you talking about?” You say, staring up at him puzzled.

“We’re leaving.” He says, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “This place is way too dangerous for you. The boss is too dangerous for you. I’m gonna go crazy if you spend another second here.”

“What?” You say, starting to get a little bit angry at his implication that you’re weak. “Tobio, I’m fine here. I get fed well, paid well, treated well. The apartment I live in is huge. I’m not leaving.”

“Like hell you’re not. We’re getting out of here before anything happens to you.” 

“Nothings going to happen to me.”

“Yes, it will. Please just listen to me-” 

He is cut off by someone calling his name down the hall.

“Shit, they’ve noticed I’m gone.” He curses, “I have to leave, but please, promise me you won’t do anything dangerous.” You nod in response. “Good. Wait for me, I’ll come find you again and we’ll leave. I promise.” He quickly pulls you into a tight embrace before hurrying back down the hallway. 

You’re left alone, staring at the wall where Tobio had stood not seconds ago. What had just happened? You finally get a second with the person you’ve spent your entire life with, after a full week of separation and all they tell you is a half assed escape plan. You had meant what you said, you had no desire to leave. Your life was infinitely times better here than it was back at that two room apartment. And yet at the same time, it’s much worse. Despite all your new luxuries, you miss the old couch you slept on, your worn out night shirt, the smell of boiled potatoes. You miss Tobio. You miss sitting in comfortable silence together during the evenings. You miss staying up late and talking about who knows what. You miss the way he snored, his snide remarks at the breakfast table, the familiarity of his presence. Seeing him again brought up a feeling of homesickness that you hadn’t even realized was there.

Nonetheless, you have your whole day ahead of you. You decide to push down all the new sorrow brought up by your brief conversation with Tobio. You shake your head, grounding yourself back in reality. You turn on your heels, and continue on your path to the front doors. 

\----

The rest of the day goes by smoothly. You purchase a few books as well as some nice decor for your apartment. You cherish what little time you have outside of the office. You had forgotten the simple joy of making polite small talk with strangers as you shopped. For once you feel as though you fit in with the people of the city. A young woman wearing old, mens clothes tends to get more than a few judgmental stares. But now when people pass by you, all they see is a respectable woman, wearing respectable clothes, going about her day. Although you never had any desire to be a proper lady, and you still don’t, you will admit that it is nice to just be left out of strangers' mindless commentary.

When you return to the top floor, it’s nearly night, and your hands are full of bags, boxes, and piles. You decide to unload everything systematically, starting with the biggest things first. You bring in a mirror, some vases, and an oil painting you got from an artist on the street. Next is the nick-nacks you bought, along with a necklace that you found strikingly beautiful. After about half an hour of lugging things into the apartment, and putting them in their respective spots, you’re left with a stack of books. You had found a bookstore selling used books for cheap, so you bought a ton. A few of them you had already read, but you thought they would still make nice additions to your personal library. You carefully pick up the stack, tucking the bottom under your chin. You make it halfway to the door, before a sound startles you and makes you stumble a bit, causing the book on the top of the pile to fall. You look over to see what has made the noise, but instead your eyes stop when they see a large hand holding your fallen book up to you. You look at the person, it’s Tsukishima, he had come out of his office and startled you with the sound of the door opening. 

“Frankenstien,” He muses, staring down at the book’s cover.

“Yes, It’s one of my favorites.” You reply sheepishly, well aware that not only is one of your favorites, but you’ve also read it at least seven times.

“Really?” Tsukishima says, placing the book back on top of your pile. “It’s one of my favorites too.”

You stare at him, not really sure how to respond to his gesture of kindness. You decide on a curt nod and a thank you. You begin to continue your journey to your apartment, before he stops you again.

“I’d enjoy hearing your thoughts on the book.” He says. Instead of cool analysis, his eyes gain a hint of warmth to them. “Why don’t we discuss it over breakfast tomorrow.”

You’re a bit taken aback. The cold Kei Tsukishima just asked you to have book club together. However, this new, not so distant, side of him gives you a tiny bit of reassurance.

“That sounds great.” You reply, a small smile creeping onto your face. You make another attempt to walk towards your front door, when you’re once again stopped by the man standing behind you.

“Goodnight, Assistant.”

“Goodnight, sir.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise it will get fun soon. But like, it is called slow burn for a reason.


End file.
